Miraculous Ladybug: The Butterfly's Broken Heart
by Pan-Tastique
Summary: An akumatized villain reveals Ladybug's identity. While she seeks for a solution to the problem, she hands over her Miraculouses to Chat for safekeeping - unknowingly playing them right into the hands of the enemy. Did Chat betray Marinette for a cheap deal, or did something go terribly wrong? Behind the fog of the Akuma, Marinette simply doesn't know what's real anymore.
1. Ch1: How the Ladybug lost her spots

Chapter One

How the Ladybug lost her spots

The last time Ladybug fought an Akuma attack turned out into a disaster.

The Lucky Charm had proved unsuccessful – for the first time, leaving both Ladybug and Chat Noir unsure what to do. They were running out of time, and the Akuma was out to get them.

They had to think of a solution. _Fast._

Papillon was getting better at picking his henchmen. Ladybug and Chat Noir had been fighting him for over a year now, and thus it was quite obvious that he was observing them, figuring out their weaknesses, and it appears Papillon had found just the one.

Marinette was dumbfounded. The Lucky Charm had never failed before. And yet – it had this time. What'd gone wrong? She'd done the same thing she'd do every time, and yet – it was as though the Akuma had _anticipated_ her every action.

And now Ladybug was out of time.

"Milady!" Chat's voice called for her, waking Marinette from her thoughts. They were standing in the middle of a crowded street, the people trapped by toppled cars on either exit. They huddled by the corners and edges of the street, near the facades of the houses and shops.

In the middle of the street were Ladybug, Chat Noir, and across them, the Akuma, taunting them.

Who this woman was, Marinette didn't know. Neither did Chat, she knew that. But did it matter? She was an innocent victim, about to make a cruel mistake.

She had to be stopped. That was all that mattered.

"Ladybug," the woman taunted, her golden eyes glittering angrily. "Want to see what happens when you humiliate Le Papillon one too many times?"

"No, I don't," Ladybug snarled. "And neither do you! You've been akumatised, you're not yourself!"

"Do I?" the woman cackled. "I was a fan of Le Papillon long before you children came along. Je suis Le Vainqueur, vanquisher of heroes! And today, my dear Ladybug and Chat Noir, I will vanquish _you_!"

Chat swallowed. "Wow, she's really serious about this, huh?" he whispered to Marinette. "Never thought I'd see a Papillon-fangirl."

Ladybug nodded in agreement. "Let's see if she plays her part well, huh?" She crouched down, ready to jump, just in time to miss the comic book Le Vainqueur had used to capture the image of various superheroes while she'd been akumatized. Comic book heroes, children in costumes resembling heroes – it didn't seem to matter to her. She wanted to vanquish all forms of heroism so only Le Papillon would be left to rule.

But Ladybug refused to let that happen.

Marinette hoped that, despite the Lucky Charm's failure, luck would be on the duo's side. They really needed it.

"Chat!" Ladybug motioned for Chat to follow her to a corner of the street she'd jumped to to escape the fate of becoming a comic book character.

"Do you have a plan, Milady?" Chat asked, his facial expression turning rather alarmed when he heard the beeping sound of Ladybug's earrings running out of power. "We've got to do something quick."

Ladybug nodded her head vigorously. "Yes, I've got a plan," she said. "And it involves you getting trapped in that book."

Chat, insulted, took a few steps backwards. "Milady!" he said, sounding genuinely upset. "What are you suggesting?"

"Listen," Ladybug said, not allowing herself to be thrown off by Chat's pouty face. "We've battled a similar villain before, right? Gabriel Agreste's akumatised object worked very similar to this comic book." She grinned as she moved closer, whispering her plan into her companion's ear.

Adrien's face lit up as he heard Ladybug speak of the plan. Of course his Lady wasn't going to sacrifice him just like that. Le Vainqueur was much less careful than his father had been. It should be much easier to lure this one into a trap.

The duo turned back around, to be met with another attack from Le Vainqueur. They each ducked into a different direction to avoid the comic book, readying themselves to perform 'Plan B'. Or, actually… Plan _C_. _C_ for _Cataclysm_.

"Hey, Vanquisher!" Chat shouted, hoping to get the villain's attention. It worked. The woman turned her back on Ladybug, her golden eyes glittering and her orange, voluminous hair dancing around her head like flames.

"I feel as though your comic is coming along nicely," Chat continued, his green eyes showing a mischievous twinkle, "but I can't help but think it's missing something."

"Like what?" Le Vainqueur hissed.

"A real hero, perhaps?" Chat grinned back, taking a superhero stance. "Come and get me – forget about Ladybug! I'm _all_ the smoking-hot action you could possibly need!"

Chat didn't notice, but Marinette couldn't help but roll her eyes. Chat would never stop being Chat, now would he? He better hurry up – Marinette heard the beeping indicating that the Ladybug miraculous was reaching its final inch of power.

"I'll consider your offer, sweet Kitty," Le Vainqueur smiled. "Now, come here, my master piece!"

Le Vainqueur ran towards Chat, comic book outstretched with an empty page ready for Chat to appear on. A perfect place for the cat to tear his way through the paper.

"CATACLYSM!" Chat shouted, placing his palm on the comic book page just as the power took effect. The comic book turned black and crumbled, releasing the akuma. Butterfly and villain were in turn separated by Ladybug's yo-yo lassoing itself around Le Vainqueur's torso and pulling her backward, all in one smooth move.

Marinette bit her lip. The akuma! Hurry! She had to retract her yo-yo and catch the vile creature, before –

The ground disappeared beneath Marinette's feet and met with her face instead. Le Vainqueur, transformation yet to wear off, had managed to grab hold of the yo-yo cord and pulled Ladybug off her feet.

"As long as I'm here, you will _not_ stop that Akuma!" Le Vainqueur screamed. "You will fail, and Le Papillon will gain control over someone else!"

Ladybug got on all fours to meet Le Vainqueur face-to-face. "You know what happens when you don't stop an Akuma, don't you, darling?" the villain whispered, truly seeming to enjoy every second of the moment. "It's not… the first time this has happened, huh? Paris will blame you, darling. So… I'd better go home and recharge." Then, she gasped, pretending to be surprised. "Oh, you're already out of time."

Both transformations wore off at the same time. One revealed a redheaded woman with hazel eyes, wearing a cheap replica of the Butterfly Miraculous on her lapel.

The other revealed a wide-eyed girl with messy black pigtails.

"We will stop Le Papillon," Marinette hissed at the villain in front of her, not caring that her identity had been revealed –at least, not at this exact moment. "We've done it before."

"Yes," Le Vainqueur responded melodiously, "but will you do so before Paris loses faith in you, and starts to see you as the cause of this mess? Le Papillon is here because of you... without you here, he wouldn't be here. So… what's stopping them from chasing you out of town?"

Le Vainqueur got up, crouching down to whisper a final message in Marinette's ear before walking off. "We're coming for you, Ladybug. I'm not alone. More will follow. And we won't stop until all of Paris hates you."

Marinette blinked silently, trying to prevent the tears from streaming down her face with all her willpower.

Chat wanted to stop Le Vainqueur from walking off, but Adrien decided he had to help his friend instead. Marinette was clearly shaken.

Marinette! _MARINETTE!_ Her name echoed through his head. It had been Marinette all along. Of course! OF COURSE!

No. Adrien shook his head. No time. Marinette needed help. Feelings were of later concern.

She probably didn't even want to know right now.

And thus, Adrien, Chat, knelt beside her, unsure how to act. He wanted to help her like Adrien, but all she could see was Chat, and Adrien believed that hiding his identity was critical now that Ladybug's had been revealed.

How many people in Paris knew by now?

"Marinette," Chat whispered. "Princess. Are you alright?"

He put an arm around her shoulder, and Marinette accepted it quietly. "No," she whispered hoarsely – a mistake; allowing her vocal cords to move somehow dropped the defence at her eyes, and the poor girl burst out sobbing.

"Shh, it's alright," Chat said, looking around as he helped Marinette to her feet – the people were staring. They had to get somewhere quiet for a serious talk.

"Let's get you home, alright?" After receiving a hesitant nod from Marinette, Chat pulled out his baton and readied both himself and his partner for some fast-travel to the roof of the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

"Are… you alright?"

"No," Marinette blurted out walking nervous circles through her room. "We- we failed, Chat. My identity was revealed, and…" She bit her lip. It was hard to admit, even after all this time. "I… I… I don't want to do this anymore."

" _What_?" Chat shouted, almost feeling insulted. "Why the sudden change of heart?" His ring beeped. _Five minutes_. He ignored it.

"Because," Marinette said, turning around – the volume of her voice made her feel glad her parents weren't home that day. "Didn't you hear what Le Vainqueur said? She was right! Le Papillon is only here because of us! He wants us! If we're gone, he'll stop torturing the people of Paris!"

"But where would we go?" Chat asked. "He'll follow the Miraculouses to the end of the world. You know that."

Tikki was asleep in Marinette's bag, exhausted from the battle – if Adrien hoped he'd get help from the Ladybug Kwami, his wish would go unfulfilled.

"I know," Marinette nodded. "Trust me. I know. But… I know someone who keeps them. The Miraculouses, I mean. He's got more."

"More?" Chat raised his eyebrows. "And you've been keeping this from me?" His eyes drifted to the wall behind Marinette for a brief moment, believing he saw a familiar face – only to discover that the wall was _covered_ in photos of him. Well – not of Chat, of Adrien.

He felt his cheeks turn beet red. Where'd those been when he was here the year before, playing videogames? Had she hid them? Was she secretly _crushing on him_?

 _NO! ADRIEN, FOCUS!_ Adrien groaned. NOT the right time.

Marinette didn't seem to notice. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't think it was relevant. Until now." She took a deep breath. "I'm going to talk to the Miraculous owner, Master Fu," she said, "to ask him for advice. Until then, I do not wish to have these with me."

Marinette reached for her earrings, taking them out of her ears without any protest from Chat.

The original box still rested on Marinette's desk, and she carefully placed them inside as the Miraculouses dropped their black onyx-disguises and returned to their original, five-spotted form.

Marinette closed the box and turned back to Chat, holding out the box in front of her.

"I'll come back for them after I've spoken to Master Fu," Marinette told the cat. "Until then, I want you to keep them safe – I've been compromised."

"Marinette, I can't-" Chat said, his eyes hesitantly shifting from the box to his friend, but she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Take them," she demanded. Then, she continued more nicely, "please, Chat. I can't keep them safe anymore. Le Papillon knows who I am." Tears started to well up in her eyes again. Another tissue to add to the pile she'd thrown to the floor already in her attempt to calm herself down?

Adrien swallowed, his eyes shifting down and up again once more. "I…"

He closed his eyes. "Fine, Princess," he said, trying very hard not to drop his act. _Beep Beep. One minute._ Really?

"I'll take them," Chat said, placing a hand on the box, one hand on one of hers as to provide comfort. "But only because you asked me to. I know you can overcome this, and… Master Fu-" he tried his best to hide the fact that he'd forgot the name – "will agree with me.

"If he chose you, us, then he chose us, you, for a reason. He won't let you go just like that.

"And neither will I."

Marinette rolled her eyes and smiled in-between a small sniffle. "I know," she said. "I'm your Lady. But… if it's unsafe, Chat," her expression suddenly turning serious and cold, "you'll have to prepare yourself for a new partner. I won't put both our lives in jeopardy."

"I understand," Chat smiled, standing up and taking the box from Marinette's hands. "Stay strong, Milady. I'll see you around."

Marinette knew his time was about to run out, and thus she didn't see him out to the balcony. She didn't want to know who he was and compromise him further that way. It simply wasn't safe. And she'd made it that way.

Adrien jumped from the balcony with the aid of his baton, luckily reaching the ground just as his power vanished.

Did anyone see him? No, luckily, the street was deserted. And Marinette?

Adrien looked up; no, she wasn't there, either. He sighed as he looked at the small, dark wooden box in his hands. How was he to protect his Lady's honour this way?

Adrien couldn't help but feel these earrings weren't particularly safe in his home, and it was something to do with his father. Adrien had begun to question his own father's honesty and credibility more and more.

As he set off to go home, Adrien vowed to keep the Miraculouses safe from anyone who might want to abuse them, unaware of the fact that his greatest enemy already knew right where to find them.

Gabriel Agreste had just won the jack-pot; a chance he vowed not to let slip.


	2. Chapter 2: My Fair Lady

Chapter Two

My Fair Lady

"Adrien, where have you been? Nathalie's been trying to contact you all day. Why have you been ignoring her calls?"

Adrien flinched at the sound of his father's voice as soon as he entered Agreste Manor.

"I'm sorry, Father," he said, refusing to meet his father's piercing gaze while trying not to draw attention to the box he was holding at the same time. "I'd been out running errands, and I lost track of time."

"Contact her next time before you head out," Gabriel told his son. "You've been disappearing more and more often the past year; I don't like it."

"I know, Father," Adrien replied quietly. "I'm sorry. I'll do as you say in the future.

"I promise."

His son couldn't see, and luckily so – the smile that crept up Gabriel Agreste's face might as well have revealed his identity in a flash. Adrien truly had no idea who his father was… but Garbiel did know about his son's secret. And the box the boy was holding confirmed the matter.

"What's with the box you're holding?"

Adrien turned his head upwards to face his father, who was still standing on the stairs, not bothering to come down and greet his son like any normal, caring father would have. "It's a gift, Father," he said stiffly. "For a friend's birthday."

"For whom?" Gabriel said. He knew only a handful of the kids his son hung out with regularly by face – the Bourgeois girl, the DJ, and the quite remarkably talented fashion girl and her loudmouth best friend. But still, he knew his son was hanging up a lie.

"You don't know them," Adrien replied angrily. "You hardly even know me." Adrien quickly finished the sentence under his breath, but his father got the message.

Then, without saying another word, Adrien walked past his father and headed off to his room.

Any other father would've stood there, deeply wounded by the way his son had addressed him. But Gabriel couldn't let such emotions get in his way. Not while this opportunity was laid right in his lap.

He had to act quickly. Soon, both the Ladybug and the Chat Noir Miraculous would belong to him… and he would use the former Ladybug to get them.

* * *

"Rough day, huh?"

"It was quite something."

Plagg had come out of his hiding spot, probably in an attempt to cheer up his friend, but so far, it wasn't quite working.

"So… what are you going to do about it?"

Adrien let out a sigh. "Plagg, if I knew, I _probably_ wouldn't be standing around here doing nothing," he said, his voice filled with exasperation. He looked at the Kwami, who shrugged.

"I… guess you're right. Sorry, Adrien. It's just – it's quite the situation, you know."

Adrien offered his companion a sad smile. "What are we supposed to do, Plagg? I can't talk to Marinette as Adrien about this, because then I'll have to reveal myself – and once she realises I'm Chat Noir, she'll do the same to me as to him – refuse to listen."

"Sorry buddy," Plagg said. "Can't help you with that one. You'll have to figure this one out for yourself." He paused, thought about it for a while, then said; "Why don't you just give her time?"

Adrien raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Why don't you give her time?" Plagg repeated. "Marinette said she wanted to talk to Master Fu and get advice from him. She's worried you might be in danger if Le Papillon finds out about her identity. She's startled, scared. But she'll regain her confidence, I'm sure." The cat- Kwami smiled. "She's Ladybug for a reason, after all. You said it yourself."

Adrien rubbed his chin, considering his Kwami's advice. Then, he smiled and nodded. "You've got a point, Plagg," he said. "I should – I should just give Marinette time to figure this out for herself, and provide support as her good friends – Adrien and Chat Noir."

Plagg smiled broadly. "That's the spirit," he said. "Now, where's the Camembert? I'm starving."

* * *

Le Papillon could hardly wait to execute his plan – normally, he struck as soon as heartbreak happened. But this time, he had to be a little more patient – he couldn't risk his son finding out.

This was something new. In fact, Le Papillon had never tried this before. But still, he was confident it would work.

He had summoned the Akuma Ladybug and Chat Noir had allowed to escape the day before. Instead of creating mindless copies of Le Vainqueur, he would use the Akuma's power to control the little Ladybug. This allowed for akumatisation to happen without Le Papillon being transformed, as the Akuma already had been given its power.

Of course, the original Miraculouses were protected. But then again, letting the Ladybug Miraculous out of his sight again was a risk Le Papillon refused to take. That's why he planned to use a different pair of earrings, identical in size and weight to the Miraculous, to execute his plan.

"Misunderstandings can happen so easily," he mumbled, stroking the surface of the fake Miraculous earrings. Gabriel had confiscated the real ones from his son's bedroom, box and all, but he would make sure to return them after he'd finished. Of course, the real Miraculouses would be safely locked inside Gabriel's vault, along with the other Miraculous he owned. But Adrien wouldn't know. He, or rather, Chat Noir, would hand back the fakes not realising they weren't the real deal until it was all too little, too late.

"Sadly, I believe this misunderstanding will end a certain friendship permanently. Such a shame…"

For a brief moment, as if he hesitated, Le Papillon closed his eyes and let a sigh escape from between his lips. "I'm sorry you had to get in-between all this, Adrien, but you're on the wrong side of the battle. Soon, you'll understand why I'm doing this. And you'll be thankful."

He placed the phony Miraculous in his palm, allowing the Akuma to draw close.

"Now, be patient, my little Akuma, and darken Ladybug's heart when the time is right."

The Akuma did as asked. The earrings turned a deep black – if the fair Ladybug was smart enough, she'd be put off by the sudden shift in colour. But then again, Chat Noir, her trustworthy partner, had kept them safe for her. What could be wrong with them in any way? She trusted him blindly, and thus she would trust the Miraculouses the same way.

And that blind trust would be her downfall.

When Adrien arrived at school, he found his classmates panic-stricken. Alya and Nino ran towards him as soon as they spotted him on the school grounds; their expressions were of worry. What was going on?

"Adrien!" Alya said, cutting right to the chase. "Where's Marinette? Have you seen her?"

Adrien frowned. "No?" he said. "What's – what's wrong? Isn't she in class? Why aren't you guys in class?"

"That's exactly the problem," Nino said. "Marinette's been missing since this morning."

Adrien gasped audibly. "What?" he said. Oh no. Had Le Papillon already got to her? No… he would've come for him, too. Le Papillon would've been taunting the entire city of Paris with the news of their precious Ladybug's capture. He took far too much pride in his victories not to do that.

But that left one more question… where was Marinette? And what was she doing?

Had she skipped school to find Master Fu, or had something bad happened?

Adrien decided to pack all of these different questions into one; "What happened?"

Alya shrugged. "Do you think we would've had to ask if we knew?" she said. "Marinette's parents called me earlier this morning asking if she was having a sleepover at my place. She's probably been gone all night." Nino nodded to confirm Alya's statement.

"It's really bad, dude," he said.

Adrien looked around the schoolyard; his classmates were all standing around in groups, whispering worriedly to each other. To his surprise, even Chloé had a somewhat worried expression on her face. Apparently, even the girl who 'hated' Marinette the most didn't want her to get seriously injured.

The teacher was standing near the school's entrance, discussing with Marinette's mother, Sabine, her father, Tom, and the principal. This was pretty serious.

Luckily for Adrien, there was no one attending class. At least, his classmates weren't… so he wouldn't be missed if he snuck off to find Marinette.

"I've got to do something," Adrien told Nino and Alya. "I promise I'll be right back."

The two looked at each other, then nodded approvingly. "Go," Alya said. "We'll cover for you."

Adrien nodded as a means to say 'thank you', then turned around and left the school grounds. He had a mission – find Ladybug, and protect her from any danger if necessary.

Headed for a back alley near the school in order to be able to transform safely, Adrien tried to think of a plan. How was he going to go about doing this? Where would he look first?

Adrien didn't have to think about the matter for long, as someone else found him first.

"Adrien Agreste?"

Startled, Adrien turned around. His eyes moved downward until they were met with those of Master Fu's.

"Oh!" he gasped. "You're the elderly man I-"

"Of course, Adrien," Master Fu said, nodding in a confirming manner. "You and Ladybug were both chosen because of the kindness you showed to me while neither of you had any obligation to do so. I hear you've been having a bit of trouble?"

Adrien scratched the back of his neck, nervously breaking eye contact with Master Fu as he did so. "Uh… yeah, if you want to call it that," he said, "Ladybug's identity's been revealed by an Akuma. It's quite a tad more than just a 'bit' of trouble, actually."

Master Fu appeared to remain rather calm upon hearing the news. "I see," he nodded. "And now you wish for my help?"

"Well, Marinette does," Adrien said, "but yes. I'd like you to help her, me, both of us. We really need it, sir."

"Call me Master Fu," Master Fu said. "But Adrien, I'm afraid I cannot help you. Neither of you."

Adrien's eyes grew wide with frustration and surprise. "What?" he said. "But Marinette trusted you! She said you'd be able to help us!"

Master Fu motioned for Adrien to calm down. Sure, the boy was motivated, but he was easily aggravated and too quick to jump to conclusions. Luckily, Ladybug softened his edges, but that did mean that the two had to be _together_ in order for them to be successful.

"Oh, Adrien, don't fret," Master Fu said. "It's not what you think. You two have to help each other – and in the end, only Marinette can help herself."

Adrien tilted his head curiously. "What do you mean, Master Fu?"

Suddenly, Plagg appeared from underneath Adrien's unbuttoned white shirt. "Isn't it obvious, Adrien?" he said, sounding slightly agitated. "Marinette's the only one who can help you protect Paris! She's been chosen! And only _she_ can regain confidence in herself! The confidence she needs to be Ladybug once again!"

Adrien considered the Kwami's words for a brief moment. It _did_ make perfect sense.

"I see," Adrien said thoughtfully. "So… I have to stick by her side, and try and see if I can get her to regain her confidence somehow. She needs to believe in herself again."

Master Fu nodded positively. "Exactly, young one!" he said. "Marinette is stronger than she thinks. She just needs to see it.

"It's not confirmed that Le Papillon knows her identity. And does it truly matter in the end?" A light twinkled in the old man's eyes as a smile crept up his thin lips. "After all, secrets cannot be kept forever. They will always be revealed somehow."

Adrien nodded. "I understand now, Master Fu," he said. "Thank you for coming to see me."

Master Fu and Adrien offered each other a nod, after which Adrien turned around to sprint off and transform. Something stopped him in his tracks, however.

"Wait…" Adrien mumbled, turning his head just far enough to be able to look at Master Fu. "How'd you find me?"

Master Fu chuckled and shrugged. "When you need my help, you'll always be able to count on me, Adrien. Both you and Marinette." Then, his expression turned more serious. "Now, _go_!" he said. "Stop wasting time. Find Marinette and bring back Ladybug before Le Papillon can take advantage of the situation!" He waved his hand and walking stick as to shoo Adrien away, who understood the man's intentions.

He ran off into the alley, stopping about halfway through. That's far enough; no one would see him. Certainly not Le Papillon.

"Alright, Plagg," Adrien told his Kwami friend. "Marinette needs our help, so we can't let her down. _Transforme-moi_!"

A green flash lit the alleyway for a brief moment. Then, where a normal fourteen-year-old boy stood just moments ago, Chat Noir had appeared. He instantly reached for his baton, extending it to send him on his way.

He knew exactly where to find Marinette; he just had to be quick enough to get there before Le Papillon would.


	3. Chapter 3: A Reason to Believe

Chapter three

A reason to believe

Luckily, Marinette wasn't difficult to find at all. For some reason, Adrien knew just where to look.

The Eiffel Tower had been his first choice, but considering His Lady could no longer transform to get all the way up to her favourite spot with ease, Chat went to visit his Lady at her other hiding spot.

Her own bedroom. Or, in fact, the balcony. And, not to his surprise, there she was. Knees pulled up to her chest, she sat near the door in the shade, on a pillow she'd taken from her bed.

"Marinette?" Chat asked. "What's the matter? Your school called for Ladybug and Chat Noir because a student had gone missing overnight.

"Where'd you go?"

"I didn't leave at night," Marinette explained herself. "I left early, before my parents woke up, so I could go and talk to Master Fu before school." She sighed and closed her eyes, turning her head away from Chat. "But I was too ashamed to go and tell him the truth."

Chat frowned, crouching beside his friend and putting a hand on her arm. "But then why weren't you at school? They were really worried."

Marinette turned her head to face Chat again. "What did they say when it was just you who showed up?" she asked. "They called for Ladybug AND Chat Noir, but only you showed up. Weren't they suspicious?"

Adrien raised his eyebrows behind his mask. An unusual way to avoid a question. And… how was he to answer? The school _didn't_ call for Ladybug _or_ Chat Noir. He'd come on his own accord, but it was difficult to 'just show up' and hide your identity at the same time. If Chat told Marinette he'd heard about it from her classmates, then that would make his identity much more obvious.

Luckily, Marinette had avoided his question, so Adrien didn't feel compelled to answer.

"Don't avoid the question, Marinette," Chat said. "Where did you go? You could've just gone home, then to school. But you didn't. Why?"

Marinette shrugged, lowering her eyes again. "I…" she mumbled. "I… was afraid, I guess." A brief moment of silence followed; Adrien waited quietly for Marinette to continue. Of course that could have backfired and they could've sat there for hours without anyone speaking, but luckily, Marinette did in fact continue.

"I was too embarrassed to face my classmates," Marinette explained. "I mean – what if they knew? What if they'd seen what happened? How would I face Alya, who now knows I'm Ladybug, or, was Ladybug, and gave up just like that?" It was as if Marinette had something stuck in her throat as she spoke her final statement.

"She'd hate me."

Adrien swallowed. Marinette was afraid of disappointing her friends. He had to let her know they wouldn't be – _without_ revealing who he was.

"Why would you think that?" Chat said. "They're your friends, right?"

Marinette frowned. "Yeah?" she said. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What that's supposed to mean," Chat said, "is that if they're your friends, they'll support you. Of course they might not always agree with you, but they won't ditch you just like that. We're all human, Marinette. We all make mistakes." He winked at her. "Even we superheroes aren't perfect."

Marinette offered Chat a slightly doubtful smile in return for his. "I… I guess you're right," she said. "I shouldn't think so lowly of my friends. But still, Alya looks up to Ladybug so much… perhaps she'd be disappointed if she found out it was me?"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Chat yelled. He quickly toned down, because Chat wasn't supposed to know how Alya and Marinette's friendship was doing – but then he remembered Marinette did know that Chat was closely following the Ladyblog.

"Alya loves Ladybug, Marinette! She'd be over the moon to learn her best friend was also her greatest inspiration! That'd only make things even better!"

He chuckled. "She would probably never leave you alone again, wanting to know all the ins and outs about being Ladybug," he said.

Marinette couldn't help but chuckle, too. "You're probably right," she said. "What that woman, Le Vainqueur, told me, just really scared me."

"Do you really think Le Papillon is capable of doing something like that?" Chat said, raising an eyebrow. "Come on. In the past year, he's achieved pretty much nothing. We stopped him every time."

Marinette shrugged. "You can never be too sure of the future, Chat," she says. "I'm sorry I allowed myself to get so scared over this. I've caused enough trouble already, or so it seems."

"Don't worry, Marinette," Chat assured his friend, "I'm here to help you. And so are your friends. Don't be afraid to ask them for help; I'm sure they'll do anything for you."

His smile was genuine. And Marinette returned the gesture kindly.

"Thank you, Chat," she said. "For being my friend. I know I've messed up, but I know we can figure out a way to fix this." Then, her expression changed, as though she remembered something. "The Akuma that escaped! What became of it? Did it akumatize anyone else?"

Chat nodded. "Not that I've heard of," he said. "Perhaps Le Papillon called it back to his hideout. Either way, it's not out there wreaking havoc."

Marinette let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God," she said. "That's the last thing I'd want for you; to send you out there on your own without a way to cleanse the Akuma."

"I could put on your earrings to do that," Chat chuckled. "Quick Miraculous-switch."

"Chat, you don't have ear piercings."

Adrien subconsciously reached for his real ears, then moved them up to his cat ears to turn his mistake into a cheeky joke.

"No, I suppose not," he said. "You're right, My Princess. I'm sorry."

Marinette and Chat sat quietly, looking at the street beyond the balcony for a brief moment.

"They're worried about me, aren't they?" she said. "I should go back to school."

Chat nodded. "My Lady, that sounds like a terrific plan."

"Alright then," Marinette said, getting to her feet quickly. "Shall we go?"

Chat looked up at her. "I'll bring you there, safely," he said, "but after that, I've got to go." He got up from his crouching position and extended his staff. "But I promise I'll come to see how you're doing every afternoon. And if you don't want to talk, just say the word and I'll be on my way again.

"Thanks, Chat," Marinette said, holding on to his shoulders as they prepared for takeoff. "I appreciate it."

* * *

Marinette's parents were just on their way home when they ran into their daughter and her superhero friend. Both Sabine and Tom let out a sigh of relief when they saw their daughter approaching them, locking her into a tight bear hug as soon as she was within an arm's length reach.

"Marinette!" Sabine said, as soon as she and her husband had let go of their daughter, allowing her to breathe again. "Where did you go?"

"To… the… eh…" Marinette mumbled nervously. She'd never been a great liar. "Library!" she ultimately decided. "I went to the library before school to study, but I forgot how late it was! Sorry!" She let out a nervous chuckle, but luckily Chat was there to help her.

"Don't worry," he said, "I quietly took her out of there and told her what was going on. Your daughter is very bright," he said, winking at Marinette.

Sabine and Tom seemed satisfied and both nodded. "Alright," Tom said. "We'll call your school's principal when we get home, alright? Now, you just get to class."

Sabine nodded at Chat. "Thank you," she said. "I'm glad she's alright."

"So am I," Chat said happily, as he and Marinette waved the couple goodbye. "Now, Marinette, I believe your father asked you to do something, now didn't he?"

"Won't you be coming with?" Marinette asked. Chat shook his head and struck a pose.

"Nah, Princess," he said, "they'll all want to take pictures. There'll be a line around the block… I don't want to keep your class off of lessons even longer." He gave Marinette a cheeky grin; she punched him in the arm.

"Fine, then," she said. "Get lost then, Kitty. Shoo!"

Chat and Marinette waved goodbye at each other, each headed in the opposite direction. Little did Marinette know however, that she would be running into Chat again in a few minutes – out of costume.

When Adrien appeared on the school grounds a few moments later, Nino was already waiting for him.

"Adrien, dude!" Nino said, welcoming his friend with open arms. "Where have you been? Anyways, Marinette's back safe! No need to worry!"

Adrien pretended to be surprised and relieved at the same time. He would have been genuinely relieved had the situation been different, of course.

"I'm glad to hear that, Nino," he smiled. "We should go back to class, shouldn't we?"

"Of course," Nino grinned. "We were waiting for you. I'm sure Marinette will be glad to see you.

Adrien smiled nervously as he joined his friend to their classroom. He could only hope she would be.

* * *

Class, after some questions and answers, continued as normal. The rest of the day went on as if nothing had ever happened; no need to make things more uncomfortable than they perhaps already were. After school, most kids left quickly with their friends by their side. Marinette and Alya planned on doing the same thing, but were stopped by two boys quickly approaching them as they left the school grounds.

"Marinette! Wait!" Adrien shouted. A chill of excitement went through Marinette. Why was he calling her name? Was he going to ask her out? To the movies? _A marriage proposal_? Marinette shook her head, fighting the urge to either slap herself or ask Alya to do it for her. She'd just turned 15 a few months ago… a marriage proposal was certainly not in order. Marinette let out a sigh of relief remembering the fact that _this_ year, her birthday had passed as normal – no Akumas or troubled family members messing things up. Certainly an improvement from last year's birthday party.

Adrien and Nino quickly approached the two girls – Nino, of course, being Adrien's wingman, to whisk Alya away while Marinette and Adrien held a private conversation.

"Marinette!" Adrien said, reaching for his friend's wrist. "I need to talk to you."

Marinette desperately tried to hide the colour on her cheeks. "You do?" she mumbled nervously. "Well, um-" she looked behind her; Alya and Nino had already walked off – "go ahead, I guess?"

Adrien chuckled, avoiding Marinette's gaze for a moment. Now that he knew who she was, he could hardly look her in the eye. How had this happened? It was so obvious.

"Yeah," he said. "So. Uh." He looked back up to face Marinette again; _just be honest, Adrien. That's what she'll appreciate most._

"I just wanted to say I'm glad you're safe, Marinette," he said. "You don't seem like someone who runs away just like that, so I thought something bad had happened for a moment."

Marinette let out a gasp. "Oh, no Adrien!" she said. "Of course nothing happened. I just… had some personal troubles I needed to be alone with. And then I ended up forgetting I had to go to school. Not _entirely_ intentionally." She sighed. "But in the end, it was wrong of me not to go to school. Especially without telling anyone. I'm sorry for worrying you so much, Adrien."

Adrien smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "No worries, Marinette," he said. "We all get scared and run away sometimes. Remember that one Christmas?"

"Two Christmasses ago?" Marinette asked. "Yeah, I do. Ladybug caused a Santa working on the streets to be Akumatised; Pire Noël nearly ruined Christmas that night."

Adrien nodded. "Yes, that," he said, "but the night started a lot differently. I did the same thing you did this morning."

Marinette's eyes grew wide. "So you weren't kidnapped?" she asked. "I mean – of course you weren't; you came back safely – but – why'd you run away from home?"

Adrien shrugged, nervously shoving his hands into his pockets. "My father makes life very difficult sometimes, Marinette," he said, "you know that by now. And… I thought my father didn't care enough about his only son to celebrate Christmas with me." He looked back up at her, a dark look in his eyes. "It just all became too much for me to handle that night, so I ran out to vent my anger somewhere that wasn't home. _Anywhere_ that wasn't home. I felt like staying inside my room would only make things worse, so I had to get out." He let out a sad chuckle. "Unfortunately, my father did want to celebrate Christmas, thought the worst when he couldn't find me in my room, and soon all of Paris thought I'd been kidnapped." Another sad chuckle followed. "Well, not _all_ of Paris, but you get the point."

Marinette let out a chuckle. "Well, everything turned out pretty okay in the end, didn't it?" she said. "We all celebrated Christmas together. At _your_ mansion."

Adrien smiled. "Yeah," he said, "and that's my point." Both his hands moved towards Marinette's shoulders. "No matter how though times get, you can always run away for a moment and find time for yourself. And when you're ready to come back, your friends will always be there for you." He smiled. "Just don't make them think you've been kidnapped by vanishing in the middle of the night."

Marinette couldn't help but laugh, and Adrien joined in. "You're right, Adrien. Next time, I should leave a note for Mum and Dad before going anywhere. I didn't think of it. And when I'm late for school, I'll just call Alya. Or she'll call me… Either way works."

Adrien offered Marinette an approving nod. "That's the spirit, Marinette. And remember what I said earlier in class." He closed his statement with a wink, before moving in for a hug, which Marinette accepted more than happily.

"Thank you, Adrien," she said. "It means a lot to me that you came out here to talk to me and tell me this."

Adrien let out a soft chuckle and smiled. "Of course, Marinette. I'll always be there if you need me."

The two let go of each other; Nino and Alya were already approaching again.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Alya said jokingly. "So, are you two dating yet, or what?"

"Eh!" Both Adrien and Marinette turned beet red, nervously scratching their necks. No clear answer was given.

"I'm ready to go home, dudes," Nino said. "Anyone else want to go to my place and eat some pizza?"

"I'd love to, Nino," Adrien said, "but I've got a fencing class in an hour."

Marinette smiled. "I've… got something I need to catch up on, Nino," she said. "I just need some time to work on a certain project. Alone."

"Don't worry, Nino," Alya said jokingly, putting an arm around Nino's shoulder, "I won't ditch you." A quick kiss on his cheek confirmed her statement.

"Of course you won't, Alya," he said. "Well, I guess we're off then," he said. "Catch you two dudes later."

Adrien and Marinette waved Nino and Alya goodbye, then said goodbye to each other before each headed off to their own home.

Adrien's words had really been a source of courage for Marinette. Perhaps she _could_ be Paris' hero again. But only time would tell.


	4. Chapter 4: Ladybug turned Butterfly

**Chapter Four**

 **Ladybug turned Butterfly**

When Marinette returned home after school, she couldn't wait to tell Tikki about her chat with Adrien.

"Oh Tikki, wasn't that amazing? Adrien encouraged me, almost as if he knew exactly what I was thinking!

"I-"

She stopped, the vowel remaining stuck in her throat. She'd bent her head to open the pouch she carried at her hip to carry Tikki discreetly throughout the day, only to be met with an empty pouch upon opening it.

Marinette let out a disappointed sigh. She hadn't even _said goodbye_ to Tikki or discussed it with her before making her decision to hand the Miraculous to Chat Noir.

She closed the pouch back up, removing it from her shoulder and putting it down on her desk. Who was she fooling? She was alone now, for the first time in over a year – completely alone. No one to talk to but her own thoughts. And what were those worth?

Alya had seen right through her. Of course Alya would. As soon as the girls met, the first thing Alya noticed was that Marinette's earrings were missing, which also happened to be the first thing she commented about.

Of course, Marinette, being the absolutely terrific liar she was (please make a note of sarcasm), had to make up something on the spot. Had she been able to convince Alya? Perhaps. She simply said she was looking for something new, she'd grown tired of the black onyx earrings.

The reason Marinette didn't quite know whether or not her best friend was convinced was due to the sound of a high-pitched, sneering voice bellowing, "Ah, so you finally got rid of those monsters. At last, Marinette, you have made a _sensible_ choice." Who else could it be, but a girl with a blonde ponytail? Chloé. She and Sabrina strutted over, as Chloé proudly told Marinette about how she could 'teach Marinette a thing or two about fashion'.

Marinette told Chloé thanks, but no thanks – which Chloé apparently took as an insult, responding with, "Ugh, as if I'd ever spend time shopping with you," in her usual sneering tone. Then, she continued, "You're a lost cause anyway – I mean… look at the way you dress. And those pigtails… what are you, six?"

Marinette could've lost her temper then and there. Gone, all human decency, gone, all fake respect for Chloé. She wasn't a superhero anymore, right? She could finally deliver the cold, hard slap to the face this inconsiderable twat of a girl deserved. And _no_ body would stop her.

Except for Adrien. He stepped in, intervening just at the right moment – just as Marinette opened her mouth to give Chloé a response that was very unlike Marinette, containing a couple of words she might particularly regret.

One hand, placed carefully on her shoulder – that was all Marinette needed to forget what she was about to say. She turned around, startled, to be met with Adrien's face for the first out of two time that day. The second time, he'd tell her about Christmas, how he understood – this first time, he said something completely different.

"It's your choice, Marinette," he said, "removing your earrings. You might think they're not right for you anymore, but I quite disagree." He smiled, in a slightly devious way that reminded Marinette of someone else. But Adrien and Chat couldn't _possibly_ be the same person – they were as different as night and day, so she quickly shook that idea off as a mere product of coincidence – or so she thought.

"I liked your earrings quite a lot," Adrien continued. "As though they'd always belonged to you, with you, in some way. I don't know… they suit you, I guess?"

Those words were far too sophisticated for Chat to say, and yet, still… they _sounded_ as if they were coming from Chat somehow.

Adrien had simply smiled, told her he'd see her again in class, and walked off. Chloé, obviously out of her mind with rage, ran after him, demanding an explanation for ' _that hideous display'_. Alya just gently took Marinette by the arm and dragged her dazed friend off to class as soon as the bell rang. "Seems like your crush might be a step closer to becoming your boyfriend after all, huh?" Alya whispered at Marinette.

All Marinette could think of, however, was the slight possibility that her crush and superhero companion were one and the same person – something which Marinette had always considered highly unlikely, if not impossible.

It… _was_ impossible, right? Was it _really_?

Marinette definitely wasn't the right person to pose that question to at this point.

Back within the present of her bedroom, Marinette allowed herself to fall down on her bed, pondering. Of course, now Adrien didn't have a motive to be Chat Noir. There were no indications. But then again, Chat did have a motive to convince Marinette to take the Miraculouses back.

Besides that, they both had blond hair and green eyes. But how many boys like that were there in Paris, let alone all of France?

There was only one like Adrien, for sure, but still…

Marinette rolled over to her side, clutching her stomach. All this thinking was making her feel nauseous to a point she no longer enjoyed it.

What was she to do? Paris needed protection for as long as Le Papillon was out there. Then she noticed it; a particularly strange occurance.

There should have been an Akuma attack by now, this late in the afternoon. What was Le Papillon waiting for?

Was he waiting for Ladybug to show her face again first? Was there no fun in fighting without opposition?

Of course. He needed to lure out the Miraculouses in order to be able to claim them. To have someone else claim them for him.

Still, why wasn't he akumatising the Parisian people? In order for Ladybug and Chat Noir to appear, there had to be some kind of emergency. Whether it be a kitten stuck in a tree, a man pretending to be a superhero getting himself into trouble or an actual Akuma trying to destroy half of Paris.

Right now, all was quiet. Too quiet to Marinette's liking.

Be it the right decision or not, Chat and Adrien had given Marinette enough courage – and the lack of Akumas made her worried enough – for Marinette to make a decision.

She would reclaim the Miraculouses, explain everything to Tikki, then go out and check for Paris's safety. Then, she'd return the Miraculouses to Master Fu so he could go and find a new hero.

Just one day, one run, wouldn't put anyone into any danger.

That day, Chat didn't show up. He was confident enough that Marinette would be alright and simply left her alone with her thoughts. But when he made his way to her house after school the next day – having to reject another invitation from Nino, guessing Marinette might have had to reject one from Alya just for him, which didn't make him feel too good about himself – he was met with a happy surprise when he met his Lady, his Princess, on the roof terrace of her bedroom.

She was confident when she told him how she felt about the Miraculouses. She was honest, entirely honest, including her intentions to return the Miraculouses to Master Fu if she didn't feel up to the task - but still, he was more than happy to oblige and return the Miraculouses to her.

Genuine joy filled Adrien's heart when he heard the news; he couldn't help but pull Marinette into a tight hug. He actually considered revealing his identity to her right then and there, but considering how she'd specifically requested him not to do so, he refrained from doing it.

He told her goodbye with a smile, promising to return with her requested item shortly. Then he turned, extended his baton down to street level, and swiftly hopped off into the afternoon sun. The less time they wasted, the better, right?

The sooner Paris had their favourite hero back by their side, the safer things would be.

Of course, Adrien too had noticed the lack of Akumas and had chalked it up to Le Papillon scheming up some extreme plot. And, no matter how much Adrien hated to admit it, he knew Chat Noir alone was no match for Le Papillon. He would be able to hold out in a fight, but when it came to actually _defeating_ the Akuma, Adrien had no idea how to do it. He needed Ladybug's yo-yo to complete that task, which meant he needed Ladybug _herself_.

The amount of sheer relief Adrien felt that he would not have to face Le Papillon alone was indescribable. He owed Ladybug – for more than one occasion.

Words could not describe how happy Chat was to have his Lady back by his side.

He quickly hopped into his room, through the window that he'd left open when he left to see Marinette earlier that afternoon. Thank God nobody had closed it – or discovered he'd escaped through it.

Adrien hastily hopped over to his desk, snatched the Miraculous box without giving it much thought, and left through the way he'd arrived yet again. Piece of cake, in and out within a minute. No big deal.

Neither cat nor bug were aware of what was bound to happen as soon as the 'Miraculouses' were returned to their owner.

Chat returned to Marinette, a confident grin covering the parts of his face that weren't hidden underneath the dark mask he wore.

"Here you go, Milady, express delivery especially _pour toi_ ," he said, offering Marinette the box with a less-than-gracious bow.

Marinette couldn't help but let out a chuckle. This guy? Adrien? No way. Adrien wasn't a bumbling, obviously love-struck idiot. No, actually, that role was reserved for Marinette. And Chat, or so it seemed.

Marinette nodded and politely thanked Chat. "Thanks for returning them," she said. "Even though they're not even entirely mine to keep…"

Chat got up, protesting loudly. "They are, Marinette," he said, "Master Fu _himself_ gave them to you so you could keep them safe. That's our job."

Marinette's eyes shifted from the box back to Chat. "Huh," she mumbled, "I guess you might have a point… but still…

"Something about this just doesn't feel _right_ …"

She reached for the box's lid, slowly lifting it. To her surprise, the earrings were black once more – as black as they were whenever they were in disguise.

This was particularly strange, because as far as Master Fu had told her, Marinette knew very well that Miraculouses weren't supposed to be in disguise when they weren't being worn by anyone.

"Oh…" Marinette let out a slight gasp. "That's… _strange_."

"What?" Chat asked, slightly tilting his head in confusion. "What's the matter?"

"It's… the Miraculouses," Marinette explained. "They're in their disguised form rather than their original. That's not supposed to happen."

Adrien raised his eyebrows behind his mask, which moved along as they did. "What?" he mumbled, genuinely having no idea what Marinette was talking about. "I… I have no idea, Marinette. If you don't trust it, don't wear them."

Marinette shook her head slowly, not knowing what to do or what to decide. She didn't trust this at all. But then again – the Miraculouses were completely safe from anything Le Papillon might do, right? Neither Miraculous nor their wearer could become akumatised, as far as she knew. So… what could be the harm in putting them back on and testing them?

She put the box down on her desk, reached inside, and proceeded to put the earrings back where they belonged.

Instant regret and fear filled Marinette's heart – this was wrong.

 _Something's wrong,_ she thought. _Whatever these things are, they are most certainly not the Ladybug Miraculouses._

 _I need to take these off…_ now _._

What had Chat done to her earrings? Where were the real Miraculouses? This wasn't happening. _This could not be happening_.

The dread in Marinette's heart rose to peak level, spiking when she heard the voice of her worst enemy echoing inside her head, fogging up her mind, blocking her from any clear thoughts as she noticed the edges of his signature logo as it appeared in front of her face out of the corner of her eye.

She also saw Chat, for a brief moment, stepping back in utter horror, realising what he'd done, before the world in front of her disappeared, and Marinette was left alone with the voice inside her head.

" _Bonjour, Lady Akuma_ ," Le Papillon said, almost giggling with glee. " _I am Le Papillon, and I have a proposition for you. One you cannot refuse._ "


	5. Chapter 5: Butterfly Effect

Chapter Five

Butterfly Effect

" _No_."

The only words that managed to escape from between Marinette's lips were those of denial. "No. Go away. Leave me alone."

" _Ah, Ladybug..."_ Le Papillon said, " _Lady Akuma... why are you so defensive? It's not_ my _fault your Miraculouses are gone_."

"I don't know, Papillon," Marinette responded, her brow furrowing thicker by the moment. She had to close her eyes; inside her head, it felt as though a drum was beating against the inside of her skull. She had to get her emotions under control, then the Akuma would lose its power. "But it seems like every time something negative happens you're right around the corner, so I wouldn't hesitate to blame you."

 _Focus, Marinette. Don't let him win._

" _Lady Akuma, you hurt me deeply_ ," Le Papillon responded. " _You shouldn't blame me for taking your Miraculous. I merely took advantage of the opportunity that was presented to me by your dear friend._

 _"_ _Negligence should always be punished, now don't you agree_? _Especially if that negligence breaks someone's trust in a close friend_."

"Chat?" Marinette's voice was trembling. She wasn't going to win; the fear in her heart was too strong for any positivity to overcome. The Akuma was inches away from getting its prize.

"What did you do?"

Chat took a defensive stance; his knees felt weak, he had to bend them in order to keep himself from sinking to the ground.

"Nothing, Marinette, I swear!" he said. "I'd never do anything that would cause you harm! Please, Marinette! Believe me!"

A single tear rolled down Marinette's cheek. "I… wish I could believe you," were her last words before the dark fog surrounded her, transforming her into that day's akumatized villain.

No more Marinette, no more Ladybug.

Her name was Lady Akuma.

"Marinette!" Chat yelped. "No!"

"What, _MARINETTE_?" Lady Akuma responded. Her eyes had turned an icy white – had Le Papillon blinded her? Her skin had turned a pale lavender, near completely white. The mask that covered her face resembled Le Papillon's. Her hair was no longer in pigtails – Adrien didn't think he'd ever seen her without them.

Her suit consisted of varying shades of purple, the butterfly miraculous being a returning pattern. The most noticeable were the butterfly wings, attached to her back, which appeared as though they might as well be real.

Lady Akuma's appearance made it seem as though Marinette had become one with the Akuma. And if that were the case, then Adrien doubted he'd even be able to save Marinette.

He'd have to give his all to solve this situation. But where was he to begin?

Marinette clearly didn't want to listen to him. The Akuma prevented her from thinking clearly – in that matter, she was no different from any of the other Akumas.

They had free will to a certain degree, but all akumatized villains' minds were warped in some way. It simply depended on in what way or how far the mind was warped how easily a victim could be persuaded to halt their actions.

For Marinette, her mind was clearly warped too far to be persuaded in any way.

"What did he tell you?" Chat demanded. "What did Le Papillon say I did?"

Lady Akuma narrowed her eyes. "Don't ever call me Marinette again," she said, "my name is Lady Akuma. And what Le Papillon told me, is strict business between me and him.

"Paris is lost, Chat. I allowed it to become this way. Don't worry; it's my fault for trusting you with the Miraculouses.

"Of course it was to be expected that you'd be too _incompetent_ to keep them safe from harm."

Chat's mouth hung half open – for the first time in his superhero career, he had nothing witty to say. The genuine disdain in her voice broke the boy's heart.

What was she thinking? Did she think that Chat willingly handed the Miraculouses to Le Papillon, or was purposely neglectful and left them somewhere out in the open, where someone with bad intentions could freely manipulate them? The Agreste Mansion was probably one of the safest buildings in the entire city!

The realisation hit Adrien like an oncoming train.

He actually _had_ left the Miraculouses out in the open, right within Le Papillon's reach. After all, Le Papillon himself had seen Adrien walking into the house carrying the Miraculouses around.

This was sufficient to erase all doubt that might've been left in Adrien's mind about his father. Boundaries had been set, and they were clearly breached now. It was about time Chat Noir and his father Le Papillon had a serious chat. A relationship between a father and a son permanently shattered – this time, Gabriel had gone too far.

But his father was of later concern. Right now, Chat needed to find help.

While Marinette was still here in the room with him, Adrien would try to help her himself – even though he knew it ultimately wouldn't work, it was always worth a try.

"Marinette, I don't know what happened," Chat said, "but please – I didn't want any of this to happen. You of all people should know that!"

Lady Akuma narrowed her eyes. "But it did, Chat," she said. "You're always messing around, never paying attention, and then this happens.

"And this time, sadly for you, your best friend was caught in the crosshairs. Let this be a lesson for you, Chat Noir; you are nothing without Ladybug. And soon, you will find out why."

She then, without saying another word and before Chat could stop her, ran out of the room to the roof terrace and flew off into Paris.

Adrien, no matter how much her words hurt, was determined to save Marinette. He knew that the Akuma was using Marinette's emotions, her insecurities and her frustrations, to fuel its energy. These weren't her words. Sure, they were her emotions that these words were based on, but Adrien knew that in reality, Ladybug's frustrations with Chat's antics and accidents were about on par with her frustrations regarding her own failures and mishaps.

Adrien couldn't afford to be bothered by any words said right now. He never was with any Akuma, so why would Marinette – Ladybug – Lady Akuma – be any different?

Before Adrien could go and confirm his father's secret identity by catching him in the act by surprise, he decided he needed to find someone suitable to provide him aid in protecting Paris from Lady Akuma while Chat Noir thought of a way to de-akumatise Ladybug and save the city with her once more.

…That said, he most definitely needed to find someone who could hold off Marinette for quite some time, as Adrien had no clue as to how he would release Marinette from the Akuma or confront his father about the whole thing.

He knew that his father came in somewhere in the story, and it ended with something like 'J'teu', 'Bye-bye petit papillon' and 'Bien joué!'

But in-between all that? Adrien had no idea where to start.

Actually, he _did_ know where to start: Alya.

Unfortunately, before Chat could head off into Paris to find the Césaire girl, Marinette's best friend, a face appeared underneath the hatch that lead to the stairs to and from Marinette's room. It was Sabine, Marinette's mother, obviously alarmed by the sudden commotion upstairs, who'd decided to come up and check if everything was alright.

The moment Sabine saw an empty room besides Chat, she instantly knew what was up, her face turning into a worried frown. Adrien figured that his face did just about the same as he tried – and failed – to reassure her that everything would be alright.

"Yes. It's – it's her this time. But – don't worry, I've got a plan. She'll be back safely in no-time."

He left her with a lie; Adrien most definitely did not have a plan. Still, he was hoping to redeem that lie and turn it into a truth as soon as possible.

'As soon as possible' in this case being as soon as he'd found Alya.

* * *

Luckily, Alya wasn't difficult to find – she was with Nino at the park. Nino had told Adrien where the duo would be going later that afternoon because Marinette had told Alya she had to help at the bakery that day and Nino already knew of Adrien's fencing class being that afternoon – considering Adrien had told Nino about it the day before.

 _God_ , Adrien thought, _are we that obvious about hiding what we're actually doing_? _Just claiming we've got the same activity to perform over and over every day_? Of course, a weekly cycle of the same class was reasonable, but when Adrien thought about it, he'd once used that 'fencing class'-excuse five days in a row – out of which he actually had fencing class on only one of them.

Adrien felt uncomfortable having to announce the news from behind the Chat Noir-mask, since he felt as though this was more a matter that concerned Adrien than Chat, even though he did think he and Marinette had established a friendship both behind and without the mask due to circumstances – Alya and Nino didn't really have the same experience.

Adrien wasn't worried whether or not they'd be willing to trust and help him, but that he would eventually have to reveal Marinette's identity explaining the whole situation.

Of course he did. In his defence, however, he didn't until _much_ later into the conversation.

"Alya! Nino!" Chat tried his best to approach them in his superhero persona, not as Adrien – nobody needed to know who he was, certainly not with the situation at hand. It might upset Marinette even more to know who Chat was.

Chat's chances with her were already ruined as they were, and he wanted to save Adrien's chance for an emergency. But, in order for that to work, it needed to have an element of surprise.

If Alya posted about Adrien being Chat on her Ladyblog, then half of Paris would figure it out within the first thirty minutes. He knew she valued their friendship, but Alya being Alya, she might just let _something_ slip in excitement about the fact that two of her best friends were superheroes.

 _Someday, maybe, Alya. But not today._

The duo was obviously surprised to see Chat rushing towards them, his face pale as a ghost, contrasting sharply with his dark suit and mask.

"Chat?" As soon as she saw the worried expression on his face, Alya knew something was wrong, and began running towards him. They met halfway and waited for Nino to catch up.

"What's going on?" Alya asked, not wasting any time with chit-chat. "Where's Ladybug? We heard screaming coming from somewhere just outside the park – something seems to be happening – we were just leaving, because we didn't know what was going on."

"Alya, Alya, calm down," Chat said, palms raised. "Don't try to say five sentences with one breath." He paused to give both teens a stern look - was he pushing it too hard? The situation at hand and Ladybug's absence were putting Adrien out of his character.

"Listen. Ladybug's not coming. I need you guys to help me, because you-" he gestured at Alya and her phone, then at Nino "-seemed like the second best next to her. Since… well, Alya, you know pretty much everything _about_ Ladybug."

Alya nodded. "Of course I do," she said, having to fight the urge to go on a rant about her Ladyblog. "But… why do you need _us_?" She bit her lip. "Did something happen?"

Chat nodded. "Yeah," he said, "Ladybug can't… use her Miraculouses at the moment."

"Why not?" Alya pressed on.

"Don't… ask."

"Well, then may I ask what's going on down the street, then?" Alya pointed behind her and Nino.

Chat swallowed. "That's… Marinette." His voice cracked as he said her name. "She got akumatised, and… it might as well be my fault."

"Your fault?" Nino asked the question before Alya could. "Dude, what did you do?"

Chat shook his head, raising his palms again. "No!" he said. "There's no time for explanations right now! I'll explain everything once this situation's under control!"

Alya turned white. "Right," she said, but it seemed as though her words didn't match up with her thoughts.

 _Of course it's Marinette. Who else?_

"So… we need a plan. Got any?"

Chat bit his lip. "Well – I was kind of counting on that that would be the part where you guys come in and helped me out," he said. "I have no idea how to fix this Akuma-issue without Ladybug. She's the one that cleanses the Akumas… I don't think my powers can do that, since, you know, I just… _break stuff_."

Alya looked at the ground for a brief moment, mumbled something to herself, then looked at Nino, then at Chat.

"I've got an idea," Alya said. "Nino and I will go and figure out what Marinette's powers are, then you-"

"Akumas," Chat cut her off. "She has the power to turn other people into akumatised villains. Her name's… Lady Akuma, so I figured it'd be kind of obvious."

Nino stepped in to help Alya. "Then in that case we'll figure out how she does it," he said. "Be your extra pair of eyes. You know where the Akuma's located?"

Chat nodded. "Earrings," he said. Alya let out a gasp again, one that sounded as though she was trying to repress it as much as she could – and failing.

"Please, keep an eye on her," Chat said. "She can't be that far if you could hear screams from her earlier. Don't let her out of your sight."

Alya and Nino nodded.

"But… what are you going to do?" Nino asked.

"I've got something I need to take care of first," Chat said, already reaching for his baton.

"Don't worry, it won't take long – and it might make saving Marinette much easier."

Then, he nodded and took off – to face his father once and for all.


	6. Chapter 6: Papillon Unmasked

Chapter Six

Papillon Unmasked

Alya and Nino were to shocked to find out what Marinette's – no, Lady Akuma's - new powers were. Her wings allowed her to fly, to make it easier for her to traverse Paris quickly. It was extremely difficult to keep up with the girl on foot, and thus Alya and Nino had borrowed bikes from two random kids they'd come across on the street. The two were happy to part with their bikes if it meant they could go hide somewhere.

It would've been better had they been able to snatch a moped somewhere, considering both Nino and Alya were now old enough to ride one – but alas, no such luck; they were stuck with regular two-wheelers powered by the strength of human legs.

But the fact that Lady Akuma was fast and extremely difficult to keep up with, her power made things even worse.

Lady Akuma was, as her name suggested, capable of creating Akumas. Anyone who was even feeling slightly down would attract the hero turned villain's attention and suffer the same fate as she did. And the worst part?

They _were_ all under Le Papillon's command. Le Papillon first, Lady Akuma second, following their every command.

"This is a mess!" Nino shouted; the duo had been forced to stop chasing Lady Akuma to catch their breath. "We have to stop her so she won't create more villains! If we don't, they'll all tear down Paris in minutes!"

Alya bit her lip. "You're right, Nino," she said, "but what are we going to do? We can't do anything if we can't even catch up with her!"

"Yeah," Nino said, leaning on the front of his bike, "but how would you want to do that?"

Alya took a brief glance at her phone, allowing her eye to glide to the Ladybug charm she had attached to it. That's it; the Ladyblog.

"Nino, we just might have a chance," she said, quickly drawing him nearer to explain her plan.

* * *

Adrien didn't even bother to detransform as he entered his home. He assumed he was to find Le Papillon, not his father, and thus he might as well arm himself to the best of his abilities.

He wasn't necessarily wrong. He found his father, in civilian clothing, just as he was about to enter his chamber. Adrien quickly hid behind a pillar and watched closely to figure out how to enter his father's lair.

Adrien secretly hoped that it hadn't been his father, that he had misjudged him, but now, Adrien felt as though his intuition was right – and Marinette had been right all along. However he'd managed to do it, Gabriel Agreste had been able to cover his identity by akumatising himself, and had fooled both Ladybug and Chat Noir into thinking he wasn't Le Papillon.

Still, Adrien had never been able to shake the thought from the moment Ladybug had brought it up. And now…

Gabriel was gone; Adrien quickly made his way for his mother's painting, placing his fingers in the position Gabriel had done. It took a few turns, but eventually, Adrien found the buttons that were hidden within the painting. The buttons that activated the elevator that would take Adrien down to Le Papillon's lair, for Chat Noir to face off against the villain directly for the first time.

Adrien would be facing his father, confronting him with the truth. Half hoping it would change his mind, half hoping he would get an explanation. Even though Adrien enjoyed being Chat Noir, he did not enjoy the knowledge that he was fighting his father whom he's desired nothing but love and appreciation from in the back of his head while fulfilling his duties as a superhero.

Chat Noir entered the lair, his hands sweating underneath his suit. "Le Papillon," he said, deciding not to reveal his identity straight away, "the game is up. Let Ladybug go."

Le Papillon turned around, already in disguise. He'd been in the middle of providing Lady Akuma and her Akuma henchmen instructions when Chat interrupted him.

"Chat Noir," he said slowly. "…Adrien?"

Adrien gritted his teeth. _How? How does he know?_

"…Perhaps," Chat responded, Adrien desperately trying to change the sound of his voice to mask it somehow. Of course his father would recognise him when meeting up close. Hiding his identity was a lost cause at this point, but Adrien tried to keep up the ruse for as long as he could.

"But it's not about me. I'm here on behalf of my friend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You already have what you want from her. I'm here to plead for her freedom, as clearly you no longer need her."

Le Papillon smirked. "Ah… how noble," he said, as Adrien refused to acknowledge that it was indeed him – of course they both knew who they were, otherwise they wouldn't be standing here, in what could be considered the attic of their home.

"So, tell me, Chat Noir… what is it that you desire of me?"

Adrien had trouble trying to control his temper. "Really?" he said. "I just _told_ you!

"I want you to let her go! You already _have_ the Ladybug Miraculous; what else could you possibly need her for that you let her go through all of this suffering?

"It's not fair, and you know it!"

Le Papillon let out a small cough. "I don't have your Miraculous, now do I?" he said.

"I need an Akuma to get the Miraculous for me, and Miss Cheng seemed like the right candidate for the role at this time." He was starting to speak to Adrien as he would when speaking to him as Gabriel. He couldn't help it.

"You know what?" Chat said, on the verge of tears, " _you can have it_.

" _Plagg, detransforme-moi. **Maintenant**."_

Plagg couldn't believe what was happening, what Adrien had just asked of him. Adrien detransformed in front of Le Papillon, the Kwami was about to protest loudly; Adrien briefly looked at the Kwami and started to take off the ring.

"…No," Le Papillon said. "I don't want it."

"WHY NOT!?" Adrien screamed, nearly tossing the ring to the floor. All anger and frustration Adrien felt towards his father that had been building up for two years since his mother's disappearance was flowing out of him through every pore of his body.

"You'd win without any effort! Both Ladybug and Chat Noir taken down, no more fighting! You'd be capable to do anything you wish! And now you tell me that YOU DON'T WANT IT!?"

His eyes narrowed as he was about to make a painful accusation.

"Or do you just not want it from me, Father? Am _I_ the problem?"

"Nooroo… _detransforme-moi_." Gabriel let out a loud sigh as his villainous disguise was stripped from him as his Kwami followed his demand.

Adrien stood here, arm outstretched, with his Miraculous between his thumb and index finger.

"I don't care, Father," Adrien said. "I don't care that it's you. Your identity changes nothing to your actions.

"I am not here as your son arguing with his father. I am here as Chat Noir, wanting to negotiate the fate of my partner, Ladybug." The expression on his face was stern.

"Adrien," Gabriel said, "you don't understand the bigger picture. Everything I've been doing is for us."

"US?" Adrien scoffed. "Don't make me laugh, Father. Most of the time, it doesn't seem like you care about me at all. You just want to control me and use me for your own gain."

"I don't, Adrien," Gabriel defended himself. "I really don't – that's not true at all. The only reason I'm so strict with you is because I want the best for you."

"Can you never let someone else decide that?" Adrien said, the first tear escaping from the corner of his left his eye. "You never ask me what I want. It's always your decision."

"That's because you're my son," Gabriel said. "You don't have to choose."

"But I _want_ to!" Adrien said. "I want to be able to make my own decisions! Why won't you understand that, Father? You don't have to decide everything for me!"

Gabriel tried to interrupt his son, but Adrien refused to let anyone talk over him. "No, Father! I understand you're my caretaker, but I'd like to make some decisions of my own for once! Like not always having to ask for permission whenever I wish to go anywhere with my friends, for example!"

Adrien then shook his head, realising his father had subtly attempted to change the subject. "And then there's this!" he held up his Miraculous to emphasize the subject he was addressing. "You, Le Papillon! Me, Chat Noir! Marinette, Ladybug! All of this destruction on a daily basis! It's all your fault!"

Gabriel took a step backward; Adrien compensated the distance by taking one forward. His father wasn't getting away with any excuses.

"What could possibly be so important to you that you'll hurt my friends over and over again to get it? Do you have any idea how many of them have become victims of your Akumas? Do you have any idea at all, father, how many times you've put your own son in _danger_ because of an Akuma?

"None of that's excusable!"

Gabriel frowned, raising his palms in defence. "Adrien," he said slowly, "I cannot tell you why I'm doing this. But I want you to know that I had the best of intentions regarding us. I never wanted you to get in harm's way."

Adrien was livid. How could his father care so little about what he was doing to Marinette? Let alone any other Akuma that had come before?

Even after being confronted with the truth and his son's emotions, Gabriel Agreste would refuse to be honest. He still wasn't telling Adrien anything that even resembled a good reason for Le Papillon's existence, and Adrien knew he wouldn't be getting anywhere with his father. He'd have better luck saving Marinette with Alya and Nino.

"You changed after Mother went away, Father," Adrien said. "It hurts. And the fact that you still can't come clean after all this hurts even more." He walked to the exit of the lair; Gabriel didn't stop his son.

"If you want me to forgive you, ever, you must stop this, Father," Adrien said. "Otherwise, we will remain adversaries – hero and villain, Chat Noir and Papillon – until either of us lose this fight."

It seemed as though Gabriel wanted to say something, but Adrien left the lair before he had the chance to, leaving Gabriel alone inside his chamber with Nooroo.

How was Gabriel to tell Adrien the truth about his mother, and the truth behind Le Papillon's motives? Perhaps he should've just accepted the surrendered Miraculous and gone on with it. At first, Le Papillon had wanted this to be a cat-and-mouse game between Ladybug and Chat Noir; he'd rejected the ring because he wanted Ladybug to take it from Chat.

But now, all Gabriel wanted was to reset everything.

* * *

"Yes, we absolutely _need_ you to do this! It's the only way we can solve this issue!"

"No, Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't here to save us! Chat asked us to do it; that's why we're here!"

While Adrien confronted his father, Alya and Nino were attempting to get the news station to get them on the air for a special 'Ladyblog Live'; Alya figured that Lady Akuma would be conflicted about her former identity as Ladybug, and would want to try and stop anyone from revealing any further information about her.

Nadja seemed interested and on board; the network, however, wasn't that easily persuaded… until Alya pulled up a certain point.

"I promise you; your ratings will skyrocket this afternoon if you let us on the air."

Now, studio, camera and Nadja at their side, it was time for Alya and Nino to save Paris.

"Heh, looks like Rena can do her job with and without the mask," Alya mumbled to herself as she watched the technicians make final preparations for the Ladyblog to go live.

"What?" Nino asked; Alya quickly brushed it off.

"No time for that, Nino," she said. "Look; we're live… in three… two…"

She hoped heavily the broadcast would be visible on every screen in Paris, and that Lady Akuma would respond to their message.


	7. Chapter 7: Marinette's Secret

Chapter Seven

Marinette's Secret

"Hi there Ladybug fans, and welcome to a very special episode of the Ladyblog!

"My name's Alya, as you all probably already know, and helping me today is camera man Nino!"

Nino quickly turned the camera to himself so he could wave. He really let Alya take the lead on this occasion; she clearly knew what she was doing.

"Today's a very special episode indeed," Alya continued, "as today, we've got breaking news!" She jumped up in the air and shouted at the top of her lungs, to make sure Lady Akuma would hear her if she were anywhere within ten feet of any screen in Paris.

"TODAY, WE'RE UNCOVERING LADYBUG'S IDENTITY!" She stopped shouting, moving closer to the camera.

"That's right, Ladybloggers. Get ready for a real scoop!" She couldn't help but wink at both Nadia and Nino, who were standing right behind the camera – one filming, the other supervising on the network's behalf. Nadia, however, seemed quite eager to leave – which she did as soon as Alya and Nino began filming, assuming they wouldn't notice.

This plan had to work – it was the only plan they had. Alya depended on both Lady Akuma and Chat Noir to fill out their parts just as she'd planned – which was probably the greatest obstacle in their way.

But Rena Rouge refused to let her superhero friends down. And the same counted for Alya and her friends.

* * *

Lady Akuma, however, had more important matters to attend to – revenge. She could at last punish the most annoying pest of a girl Marinette had ever come across in her life – and without consequence, for that matter. And Lady Akuma knew just what kind of revenge would be fitting for darling Chloé Bourgeois.

Of course, Chloé wasn't all that hard to find. She had hid herself inside an empty classroom in the school, alongside her trusted friend Sabrina.

It was almost pitiful. Lady Akuma didn't consider Sabrina enough of a threat and thus decided she'd leave the poor girl alone – but Chloé would receive a true VIP treatment; the only treatment she deserved.

Lady Akuma wasted no time and kicked the door open; from behind it, two shrill screams came her way.

"Chloé Bourgeois," Lady Akuma said. "We need to talk."

The girl wasn't hard to find; both Chloé and Sabrina were hiding underneath their own table in the classroom. Not the smartest place to hide, considering they were right at the front of the class.

Lady Akuma found herself mildly surprised that not more of Marinette's classmates had decided to hide in that particular classroom – but she guessed that most of them were at home or already Akumatised.

Lady Akuma felt she had to hurry; Le Papillon's powers weren't limitless, and eventually, Lady Akuma's powers would wear too thin to carry all Akumas.

She had to find Chat before that would happen.

"Chloé!" Lady Akuma shouted her adversary's name as she dragged her from under the table.

"It's time for you to pay up for all that you have done."

"M-m-marinette!" Chloé squeaked. "I- I- please don't hurt me!"

"Forget that name," Lady Akuma barked. "And… Oh, but who said I wanted to hurt you?" Lady Akuma's eyes lacked irises as well as pupils, but Chloé could tell the Lady was looking right at her. "I actually need your help, Antibug."

Chloé's eyes grew wide. "Excuse me?" she said. "Antibug? What are you talking about?"

"You'll know soon enough," Lady Akuma smiled. "You wanted to be Ladybug, huh, didn't you? You wanted to be everything she is… _was_. But you couldn't be her, now could you?"

Chloé didn't make a sound; Sabrina, on the other hand, was making strange throat noises. Lady Akuma ignored her; she wasn't what Lady Akuma needed.

"Well, Chloé," Lady Akuma continued, letting go of the girl's wrist; she stood, arms and legs spread. "Allow me to introduce you to the real Ladybug, your inspiration and greatest hero, while at the same time the target of your constant bullying and hate; Marinette Dupain Cheng. No one else but _me_."

She chuckled. "Or, at least, I _was_ Ladybug. Now… I'm _this_."

Chloé's as well as Sabrina's jaws sank towards the floor, had they been capable of reaching that far. This particular news was quite a shock for both girls, Chloé in particular.

She'd spent well over a year bullying the girl she admired the most. Her hero, her inspiration, her everything.

"Oh no," was all she could say to express her regret. She then sat on her knees, hands folded.

"I wouldn't have done it if I had known, Marinette!" she cried. "I had no idea you were Ladybug – I just saw you as a rival, a threat to my relationship with Adrien – I didn't mean it, I swear! It's amazing that you're Ladybug, I mean, _of course_ you are Ladybug!"

"I WAS Ladybug," Lady Akuma repeated. "That's something of the past. I allowed Le Papillon to trick me. I wasn't strong enough to defeat him.

"I cannot be a hero… so I must be a villain to redeem myself."

"That literally makes no sense," Chloé said, but quickly shut up when she saw the anger on Lady Akuma's face.

"That's because you don't understand," Lady Akuma said. "But soon, you will."

She folded her hands together and closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she unfolded her hands, a dark butterfly flew from them, headed for the first target they could find – the pendant on Chloé's necklace.

Chloé was gone – and Antibug sat in her place. She stood up without saying a word.

Lady Akuma smiled at her newest creation. She could feel her power waning, but figured that as long as everyone remained transformed, it wouldn't be an issue.

Suddenly, a loud noise came from underneath the table. " _TODAY, WE'RE UNCOVERING LADYBUG'S IDENTITY_!"

Lady Akuma instantly turned her head in the direction the sound was coming from; Sabrina had turned on a live stream of the Ladyblog broadcast on her phone, but had forgot that the sound was on.

"Give me that!" Lady Akuma snapped at Sabrina as she took the phone from her hands. A quick glance at the screen told Lady Akuma all she needed to know – it was time to pay the television studio a visit.

She tossed the phone back at Sabrina, then turned to Antibug. "Follow me," she told the girl. "We've got some business to take care of."

The girls quickly left through an open window, headed for the TV studio. For a brief moment, Lady Akuma doubted if it was right to fight Alya. After all, they were still friends, right?

But on the other hand – Chat must've told Alya about Marinette's true identity. Of course he wouldn't stop betraying her after handing the Miraculous to Le Papillon – or at least just allowing them to fall into Le Papillon's hands without any trouble.

Alya was just using her newfound knowledge to expose Marinette as a failed hero turned villain. All for personal gain; Alya would gain endless fame for 'unvealing' Ladybug's secret.

Marinette's secret.

Well, Lady Akuma knew exactly how to deal with this. She'd simply revert Alya back to the first time she tried to expose Ladybug's identity… Lady Wifi could help her get rid of Chat Noir quite easily, considering she was the first villain who'd ever come close to defeating the duo.

Lady Akuma decided it'd be best to leave Antibug at the studio's entrance, so Chat Noir would at least have a little bit of trouble getting inside should he arrive earlier than expected – and once he did get in, Lady Akuma and Lady Wifi would be waiting for him.

When Lady Akuma entered the studio, Alya could feel her heart speed up by a hundred beats a minute. Excitement and fear filled her heart; this was potentially the most dangerous thing she'd ever done.

Of course she was excited that at least two thirds of her plan had succeeded, but there was still another part to the plan that was left on the line.

"Look everyone; it's Lady Akuma!" Alya said, hoping to draw her closer. "If she's here, then Ladybug and Chat Noir cannot be far."

"I hope for you they aren't," Lady Akuma said, speeding forward and pushing Nino over; he didn't let go of the camera in time and they both fell.

The camera would be fine, but the live connection perhaps wouldn't be. Nino picked it up, but turned off the power, continuing to pretend to film. The public would think the camera was broken, but Lady Akuma would think the camera was still running. Alya and Nino didn't actually want to expose Marinette's identity – she just needed to think they did.

"So, Alya, what was your plan here today?" Lady Akuma asked. "Were you going to throw your best friend under the bust just to get fifteen minutes of fame out of it?"

"We needed to get you here somehow," Alya explained. "I don't want to hurt you, Marinette. I just want you back."

"So this was all just a trap?" Lady Akuma asked. " _Grea_ t trap, Alya. _Absolutely_. The only one who's trapped here, is you."

"Isn't it the other way around?" Alya asked, starting to sweat nervously – Lady Akuma was folding her hands, and indeed there was no way out for her if it came to an Akuma attack. _She was trapped._

"You're not yourself, Marinette. You're trapped in a world of delusion created by Le Papillon. You're in pain, but this is not the way to fix that – you don't understand what happened."

"Oh, but actually I do," Lady Akuma responded. "My best friend failed me. All of my friends did. But this will fix that."

She released the Akuma, with Alya's phone as the target.

Nino jumped from behind the camera and managed to tackle Lady Akuma to the ground, but the Akuma was long gone. Alya made an attempt to dodge it, but the butterfly chased her quicker than she'd anticipated – Alya was gone, and Lady Wifi had returned.

It seemed as though Nino was on his own from this point on.

* * *

Adrien hurried to the studio as quickly as he could. Of course, he too had seen the broadcast, and he knew Lady Akuma wouldn't be long. With his own Miraculous recharged and Marinette's attached to his belt, he made his way for the studio.

Of course, upon arrival, he was met with his first opponent – Lady Akuma's security measure.

Antibug, however, didn't seem quite into it. When Chat arrived, she stood there, seemingly ready to attack but she didn't quite do it – it was as if she was confused as though what she was supposed to do.

Lady Akuma's powers had stretched too thin, and the Akumas weren't responding as they were supposed to anymore.

Just to make sure, Chat took Antibug out with a single move. She attacked him with her yo-yo, attempting to trap him, but he grabbed it and pulled, drawing Antibug closer.

One smooth toss, and the yo-yo cord wrapped itself around Antibug's arms, rendering her harmless. Chat grinned at how easily he'd beat her; if only every Akuma was as weak as this particular version of Antibug, things would be much easier.

Adrien couldn't help but feel proud of Alya for her plan. Marinette would have nowhere to go, so all Adrien had to do was drive her into a corner.

But that would probably prove more difficult than it sounded.

Chat entered the studio, finding the right recording room with ease. The same room as always; Nadia's. Not difficult to guess.

When he arrived, he was able to take note of the situation at hand immediately; Alya and Marinette akumatised, Nino standing by the door.

Well – he didn't so much as notice him there as feel him, as Nino quickly dragged him aside.

"Please tell me you've got a plan," he whispered. "Things are getting pretty awful up in here, dude."

"I was kind of hoping you two would've thought of that," Chat responded quietly. "I mean – I've got her earrings, but there's no one here to wear them to cleanse the Akuma."

Nino shook his head. "Never had my ears pierced, dude, sorry. So… we have to destroy the Akuma-earrings before we can do anything?"

Chat nodded. "But I can't use cataclysm, I'm afraid," he said. "The earrings are too small and she moves far too quickly. I need to be able to grab them."

Nino nodded. "Go for it, dude. I'll back you up."

Just like that, Chat Noir stepped out of the shadows.

"Ah… Chat Noir," Lady Akuma said. "So, you did decide to show up for the final showdown."

"Of course," Chat said. "I wouldn't want to miss this."

"You know," Lady Akuma said, as Chat stepped closer, "I always wondered what you'd look or be like in an akumatised form. I wondered if I'd be able to save you.

"But you know what? Perhaps it'd be more fun if we were both akumatised!"

She folded her hands, ready to create an Akuma, but Chat was quick to stop her with his baton. He extended it, knocking the wind out of Lady Akuma's lungs as it impacted with her chest.

"Ugh, you disgusting brat!" Lady Akuma shouted hoarsely in-between coughs. "You'll pay for that."

She quickly got to her feet, ordering Alya by her side. Of course, Lady Wifi did as she was told. She began firing pause buttons at Chat in an attempt to freeze him – he found himself having a hard time dodging them.

"It's a shame it has to end this way, Chat," Lady Akuma said, pretending to be upset. "But perhaps it's meant to be…

"Cats hunt bugs, now don't they, Chat? Our friendship was never meant to last, Ladybug or Butterfly.

"I should've known you were always out to get me."

Adrien didn't quite seem to agree with that statement. While he was dodging the pause buttons, he shouted, "Marinette, stop! This isn't funny anymore!"

Lady Akuma wasn't moved by his plea. "I'll show you what isn't funny, Kitty."

She ordered Lady Wifi to stop, allowing Chat to catch his breath.

"Fine," he said, breathing heavily. "If… you won't listen… to me, then perhaps… you'll listen to _him_." He had to take a deep breath to prevent his voice from cracking.

" _Plagg_ , _detransforme-moi_."

For the second time that day, Adrien detransformed. This time, he received a different response.

Lady Akuma froze as Adrien appeared before her eyes. _What? No. NO!_

 _"_ _A….Adrien?"_

Her voice was shaky and weak. Adrien's was just the same.

"I… I'm sorry, Princess. This is all my fault. You were right.

"It's my dad who's done all of this. He's turned you into this and I can't save you."

Tears were streaming down the boy's face. "Please, Marinette. Come back."

Lady Akuma and Nino both seemed frozen in place. Both were shocked by Adrien's sudden reveal. Luckily, one person in the room was still able to move; a quick pause button, and Lady Akuma was permanently frozen in place.

"Now, Adrien! Take the earrinsg!"

Adrien looked up, feeling slightly startled; Alya, still Lady Wifi, had frozen Lady Akuma in place.

"How?" he mumbled.

"Well, she was distracted and confused enough," Alya responded. "Her powers were already pretty weak, so breaking loose from the mind-control wasn't difficult in this case.

"But that's not important! Go!"

Adrien, as though awakened from a dream, hurried forward and took the earrings from Marinette's ears. He threw them to the ground and stepped on them; they broke with a satisfying _crack_.

The Akuma escaped, but it appeared weak and drained. It simply sat on the floor instead of flying away immediately. It would fly away eventually of course, but for now, they had some time.

As long as nobody touched it and it didn't fly away, they'd be fine.

Both Lady Wifi and Lady Akuma's powers vanished at the same time; Marinette returned, falling into Adrien's arms as she was 'unpaused', sobbing loudly.

The duo sank to the ground, Adrien comforting his friend with sushing noises. He then reached into his pocket, praying the earrings would be still there – and they were.

He carefully lifted up Marinette's chin, directing her to look at them.

"Please," he said. "We need you to do it."

Marinette let out a sobbing chuckle and took the earrings. "You're… right," she said. "I've got a job to do."

She and Adrien stood up as Marinette put the earrings back where they belonged.

Not wasting any time, Marinette immediately ordered Tikki to transform her.

The Akuma was cleansed just as it was supposed to be. Marinette said goodbye to the small creature, and Paris would soon be back to normal.

"Bien joué, Marinette," Adrien said. "Seriously."

Marinette, still feeling guilt and sadness over the situation, smiled sadly at Adrien as she detransformed. "Thank you for saving me," she whispered hoarsely. "If it hadn't been for you, I would've been lost."

Adrien smiled at her. "Of course. And… I'm sorry for allowing my father to use you in this way. Nothing will ever drive us apart, okay?"

Marinette chuckled. "Of course it won't," she said. Then, she realised what Adrien had said.

"Wait… your _father_?"

Adrien shrugged. "I guess you were right all along," he said. "I still don't know how he did it, but somehow he akumatised himself when we'd found the book to put us on a false trail.

"But you knew better, didn't you?"

Marinette bit her lip. "What do we do now?" She purposely avoided answering Adrien's question.

Adrien shook his head. "I don't know."

Alya and Nino came out of the woodworks, interrupting the duo's conversation to hug them.

"That's of later concern, guys!" Alya said. "We should just celebrate that everything's ended well and that Ladybug and Chat Noir came through once again."

Marinette and Adrien both seemed to agree with that sentiment.


	8. Epilogue: Your Remorseful Father

Epilogue

Your Remorseful Father

Peace had once again returned to Paris. Adrien, Marinette, Nino and Alya had spent the rest of the afternoon celebrating their victory. Of course they came across Chloé on their way out of the TV station, finding her mildly confused. She instantly walked towards Marinette, apologised and told her she would never tell anyone; then she walked away from the group altogether.

Marinette seemed to have gained some newfound respect with the girl who was once her greatest enemy.

Of course, all of Paris was still left in the dark on Ladybug's true identity, because the Ladyblog had experienced some 'unexplained technical difficulties'.

Nadia really had to plead for her job this time, allowing this kind of scoop to slip through her fingers. Naturally, the network had found out that she'd left the studio during filming and blamed her for the lost footage. But she was given a second chance.

It seemed as though things would continue on as normal… until Adrien returned home.

Nathalie had been fed the excuse that Adrien's father had gone on a business trip and that Nathalie would temporarily be Adrien's caretaker while Gabriel was absent.

But of course, Adrien knew better. A letter waited for him on his desk, with the safe combination written on the top.

It was empty. The book, the peacock miraculous – both were taken. Adrien didn't have to guess what his father was going to do.

* * *

 _Dear Adrien,_

 _Please don't tell anyone who I am, or what I am truly doing. I'm sorry that things had to end this way, but I wouldn't have been able to explain things any better in person. I have taken your advice to heart, and have concluded that it's probably best this way._

 _Don't ask where I'm going. I don't know, and nobody else does. You won't be able to find me unless I want you to. I'll send you a letter if I ever need to speak to you._

 _I know you'll never understand why I tried to get a hold of the Miraculouses. And you probably never will. But I promise I had nothing but good intentions in the end – perhaps my means of getting my wish to come true weren't too honest. That's why I'm leaving._

 _Please continue to protect Paris, even if I'm no longer around. You are a good person, Adrien._

 _Please don't let my actions affect you and let your good heart go to waste._

 _We'll see each other again. When, I don't know. But we will._

 _After all, I have to get back from my business trip someday, don't I?_

 _Love,_

 _Your Remorseful Father_

* * *

Adrien understood his father's reasons to depart, but he didn't understand what he was going to do, or why he took the Miraculouses with him. But perhaps it was best not to know.

But he would follow his father's advice – as long as Paris demanded them to be there, Ladybug and Chat Noir would be. That was a given.

And if Le Papillon would ever return? Adrien and Marinette would make sure Ladybug and Chat Noir would be waiting for his return.

 **The End**


End file.
